Rebeca Grynspan, a Costa Rican diplomat and former Vice President, is leading the race to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. If elected, she would be the first woman—and also the first Jewish person—to hold this position in the UN’s history.
Grynspan, who currently heads the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), is the daughter of parents who immigrated to Costa Rica from Poland; her grandparents were killed by the Nazis.
A secret ballot was held in the Security Council, involving its five permanent and ten non-permanent member states. Grynspan received ten votes in her favor; four members abstained, and only one expressed objection. Her main rival, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett—Guyana’s former UN envoy—secured nine votes of support and faced two objections.
The term of the current Secretary-General, António Guterres, concludes on December 31, 2026. Under the established practice of regional rotation, the next Secretary-General is likely to be selected from Latin America.
Under Grynspan’s leadership, UNCTAD has published data detailing the significant damage inflicted on the Palestinian economy by the Israeli occupation. A report indicated that the Palestinian economy lost an estimated $212.2 billion between 2000 and 2024.
Meanwhile, several other candidates—including former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet—are facing opposition from influential nations. To be elected Secretary-General, a candidate requires at least nine votes from the Security Council, with no vetoes cast by any of the five permanent members.
The new Secretary-General must be selected by the end of 2026, with the election process likely to be finalized by October.
